Mahdi Mahmoudian Holds Ali Khamenei Responsible for Iran's Current Crises in a Letter

Mahdi Mahmoudian, a journalist and imprisoned political and civil activist, addressed a letter to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, holding him primarily responsible for Iran's current crises. He emphasized that Khamenei's decisions and approaches have led the country towards internal collapse and regional instability. Mahmoudian stated that in the event of war, 'the enemy does not need to attack from outside,' as 'the seeds of hatred and internal divisions sown by the regime will disintegrate the country from within.' In this letter, dated April 6, sent from Evin Prison, Mahmoudian warned that continuing on this path could lead to the complete collapse of Iran unless Khamenei unconditionally steps down from power and hands it over to the people. This letter was published as the U.S. President did not rule out 'bombing Iran' if a new agreement is not reached, and the White House spokesperson emphasized on April 8 that the Islamic Republic has only two options: either a new nuclear agreement with the U.S. or 'paying a heavy price.' Mahmoudian was transferred to Evin Prison on February 4 of last year to serve an eight-month sentence. Two days later, he announced via a phone call from prison that he had gone on a dry hunger strike and refused medication in protest against 'unjust sentences and crackdowns.' In his letter to the Supreme Leader, Mahmoudian wrote, 'For years, we have been rapidly moving towards national, cultural, and economic collapse, and you have not only not been a brake on this movement but have appeared as its driving engine. Every decision you make, every stubbornness, every sermon, every appointment, and every crackdown has been a step towards collapse.' He emphasized that 'in today's perilous world, a country that lacks cohesion internally and rationality externally can easily become a battlefield and disintegrate. Regional instability, the threat of military attack, exhausting sanctions, internal crackdowns, and the accumulated hatred in the hearts of millions of youth have brought Iran to the brink. This is not just a warning; it is a daily reality.' Mahmoudian continued, 'You have closed off paths for reform, expelled all elites, suppressed civil society, humiliated ethnicities and religions, eliminated the republic, and disregarded the constitution even in a nominal sense, bringing Iran to a point where not only the people but also the main pillars of the regime do not feel secure. You have thrown Iran from the rooftop of legitimacy into the alleys of distrust and hatred.' This political activist warns Khamenei that 'the current situation is no longer just the suppression of a protest or political discontent. Your decisions over the years have pitted provinces against provinces, ethnicities against ethnicities, and citizens against citizens. If a war breaks out, the enemy does not need to attack from outside; you have sown the seeds of hatred in people's hearts, and this land will disintegrate from within.' He cautioned that 'today, if a country attacks Iran, from which united nation do you expect defense? From a people whose children you have executed? From ethnicities whose languages you have banned? From a young generation that sees escape from Iran as the only way out? You have burned all bridges behind you.' Mahmoudian concluded that 'today, neither the JCPOA saves us, nor negotiations, nor the imaginary power you believe in. The only thing that can save Iran is your unconditional retreat from all power, handing it over to the people, and accepting the reality that no one is eternal, even if thousands of IRGC members, judges, and clerics hang your picture in offices every day. Otherwise, what will remain will be neither your regime nor even our country; only a bitter ruin of the memory of a nation that once was called Iran.' In recent years, many civil and political activists have published letters with warning themes addressed to Khamenei. In this context, Mostafa Mehrayee, a sociologist and university professor in Iran, stated in an interview with Radio Farda that three open letters he published addressed to Ali Khamenei are a form of 'final warning to the political system' of the Islamic Republic. In these letters, he explicitly called for the Supreme Leader to step down from power and apologize to the people for his actions.